Court fines main opposition leader for ‘insulting’ President Erdoğan

Court fines main opposition leader for ‘insulting’ President Erdoğan

ANKARA

DHA Photo

A local court in Ankara has ordered main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to pay 10,000 Turkish Liras in compensation to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for “insulting” him.

Erdoğan’s lawyers had originally appealed for a payment of 100,000 liras for non-pecuniary damages.The Ankara 24th Civil Court delivered its ruling at a hearing on April 9, at which lawyers for the two parties were present.

Erdoğan’s lawyer, Muammer Cemaloğlu, argued that in Kılıçdaroğlu’s parliamentary group speech delivered on Jan. 14, 2013, the CHP head violated the personal rights of Erdoğan and insulted him. The latter was the prime minister and leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) at the time.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s lawyer, Celal Çelik, on the other hand, said his client used “solid facts” in order to enlighten the public during the speech in question, which was actually “in the interests of the public.”

In his ruling, Judge Mustafa Satış partially accepted the case brought against Kılıçdaroğlu, ordering the CHP head to pay 10,000 liras in non-pecuniary damages.